Photo Courtesy of Hillcrest Academy

Thursday is the first day of the Southeast Iowa Superconference Shootout. The girls take the floor first at four locations around southeast Iowa. The Hillcrest Academy Ravens were pulled into a pod of four teams at Van Buren High School where they will meet the home Warriors. Hillcrest is 10-10 on the year and 8-8 in conference, fifth in the North, after a 52-32 loss to Lone Tree Tuesday. This year, the Ravens score 49 per game and give up 47, shooting 34% from the floor, 25% from three and 50% at the line with 34 rebounds, 15 steals, 11 assists and 25 turnovers per game. Individually, Malia Yoder and Claire Withrow each score 15 points per night with Yoder putting up five steals and four assist and Delaney Shaw adding nine rebounds.

Van Buren is 9-10 this year, 5-9 in the Superconference South, finishing in fifth place. The Warriors were 57-40 winners Saturday over Clark County, Missouri. On the year, VB scores 40 per game and gives up 45 on 30% shooting, 28% from three and 56% at the line with 28 rebounds, 12 steals, eight assists and 22 turnovers per game. Individually, Sophia Jirak and Marlee Mertens score nine points per game. Jirak has three steals and two assists and Callie Kracht six boards per night. This week, Raven head coach Chris Nachtigal talked about what he likes from his team’s play down the stretch and what they need to do to snap their two game skid.

Nachtigal, “I feel like we have had grit, determination and effort. Those are the things that we want to live on. Our kids are really buying into that. Being physical. Attacking the basket. Not backing down when teams are physical with us. It’s going to take a pretty intense effort (tonight). We have to be willing to strap it up, really go after it defensively, get stops, and put yourself in position to come out on top at the end of the game.”

The night opens at Van Buren with West Burlington taking on Pekin at 6p.m. The Ravens and the Warriors are scheduled for 7:30.